1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the serving of food and drink at parties and gatherings and, more particularly, is concerned with a torso-mounted tray assembly for holding food and drink.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Backyard barbecues and social events seldom have sufficient seating available for everyone in attendance. Oftentimes at such gatherings a person may have to make a plate of food not only for oneself, but also for a spouse or child. Needless to say, one person cannot accomplish this task at a given time with just two hands. If an attempt is made to balance two plates with one hand and fill them with the other, frequently accidental spills result which cause messes and embarrassment. As a result, the person will typically make the plate of food for the spouse or child, deliver the filled plate, and then have to go back and wait in line to make one's own plate of food.
Portable desks and tables worn at the front of a person's torso for holding a variety of objects, such as cameras, food, writing materials and the like, are known in the prior art. Representative examples of prior art torso-mounted desks and tables are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,330 to Best, U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,825 to Gaudette, U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,976 to Rozas, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,293 to Cobbs. While all of these prior art devices may function reasonably well under the limited range of conditions for which they were designed, each device appears to embody one or more drawbacks which makes it less than an optimum design for the intended uses and for avoiding the above-described problems. For instance, the prior art devices of Best, Rozas and Cobbs appear to be too heavy, bulky and overly complicated to be useful. Conversely, the prior art device of Gaudette appears to be too flimsy to serve the intended purpose of supporting objects.
Consequently, a need exists for a holding device which will alleviate the above-mentioned problems and still be appropriately designed for the intended uses.